Wrench.



No. 852,874. PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

H. W. DE GRAPE.

WRENCH.

APPLIOATION FILED 10.30. 100:}.

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HENRY W. DE GRAFF, OF EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed August 30, 1906. Serial No. 332,687.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. DE GRAFE, a citizen of the United States, residing-at East Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a wrench, and more particularly that kind having a socket-head provided with ratchet-teeth which are engaged by a clutch device carried by the driving means.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved clutch mechanism, and one which is simple in construction and eflicient in operation. as In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a wrench. Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the clutch mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the position of the parts when the socket-head is clutched.

Referring specifically to the drawing, denotes the handle of the wrench which is in two sections comprising flat plates 11 and 12, respectively, which are fastened together by a screw or other suitable means 13. The plates are formed with circular enlargements 14 and 15, respectively, having registering openings 16 in which a rotatable socket-head 17 is mounted. The periphery of the socket-head has a flange provided with ratchet-teeth 18, and the openings 16 have enlargements 19 forming an annular recess to receive the ratchet-teeth, whereby the socket-head is held in place.

At 20 are indicated a series of notches which are made in the part 14, and which register with similar notches 21 made in the part to form recesses in each of which a clutch pin 22 is mounted. The recesses thus formed extend inwardly and radially from the opening 16, and they correspond in number to the number of ratchet-teeth.

The clutch pins are loose in the recesses and stand up slantingly therein with one end leaning forwardly against the back of the ratchet-teeth as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the handle is rotated to the left the ratchet-teeth cause the pins to tilt rearwardly as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and no clutching action takes place. When the handle is rotated to the right, the pins drop forwardly by gravityin front of the teeth and are jammed between the teeth and the corners 23 of the wall of the recess 19 and the walls of the recesses formed by the notches and 21, whereby the socket-head is clutched to the handle of the wrench.

By employing a series of clutch-pins, one or more of these will always be in operative position, and the wrench can therefore be placed in any position and operated.

I claim 1. The combination with a driving member having an opening and recesses extending radially from the wall of said opening, of a driven member mounted in said opening and having ratchet-teeth, and loose clutch-pins standing in the radial recesses and free to drop at either end between the ratchet-teeth and the walls of the recess, to clutch the driven member.

2. The combination with a driving member having an opening provided with an annular recessextending from said opening, and recesses extending radially from the walls of the annular recess, of a driven member mounted in said opening, and having a peripheral toothed flange extending into the annular recess, and clutch-pins loosely confined in the radial recesses and movable freely therein in all directions, and engageable with the teeth on the flange to clutch the driven member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. DE GRAFF. 

